Starfire Bass II late 67 thru 69 with bass boost switch schematic

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Hi I'm looking for a Starfire Bass II late 67 thru 69 with bass boost switch schematic with Bi-Sonic pickup impedance and component values.
 

fronobulax

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Welcome. Never seen any SF bass schematics except a pre-boost switch SF II and that did not have any values. Hopefully someone who owns one will take some measurements from one. While waiting user fixit or twocorgis posted some "before" pics of the "coil" that was part of the "boost" circuit prior to removal. My search-fu is down at the moment.
 

twocorgis

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Welcome. Never seen any SF bass schematics except a pre-boost switch SF II and that did not have any values. Hopefully someone who owns one will take some measurements from one. While waiting user fixit or twocorgis posted some "before" pics of the "coil" that was part of the "boost" circuit prior to removal. My search-fu is down at the moment.

Welcome to LTG soundguy, and I think the best we can do here is the thread that I started when I first bought Greenie, which only shows how the wiring should be after the suck (bass boost) switch is removed.

SF-II.JPG


I wouldn't worry about the wiring too much anyway, as it's best to just eviscerate that switch anyway (you won't regret it, trust me). I know that while Tom was changing the pots out on mine, he also went to a higher (numerically) resistance tone cap IIRC, and it did help give the bass quite a bit more thump. I can't remember the values that he used, but Tom might remember if you contact him. I thought it might be in one of the emails we exchanged while he was working on it, but I couldn't find it. Tom's in Oregon right now visiting his new grandbaby, but he should be back in a week or so. You can reach him here.
 

fronobulax

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twocorgis posted the schematic I recalled and guess what - I forgot it did have some component values.

I don't think anyone has addressed "Bisonic resistance". If I really needed to know I would ask Curtis Novak since he has done enough work to know what the variations are among originals and between the original and Fred Hammon's Dark Stars. Again someone may have posted a measurement in the context of one and two magnet variants, but it will take me a bit before I have time to search.
 

twocorgis

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twocorgis posted the schematic I recalled and guess what - I forgot it did have some component values.

I don't think anyone has addressed "Bisonic resistance". If I really needed to know I would ask Curtis Novak since he has done enough work to know what the variations are among originals and between the original and Fred Hammon's Dark Stars. Again someone may have posted a measurement in the context of one and two magnet variants, but it will take me a bit before I have time to search.

Going through my old emails from Fixit, Tom did tell me that when he measured the values on Greenie, the neck pickup read 10.24K ohms and the bridge read 9.29K ohms. Not being a pickup geek I have no idea what that means, but I'm assuming they're within normal parameters.
 

idealassets

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On a slightly different note I'm wondering why the bass boost switch was not very desirable on these Starfire basses. I just sold a 1968 Gibson EB-2 bass where this switch was more heavy duty than on the Starfire. Additionally it was a feature where the previous owner used it and actually liked it.

I am also curious as to why bass players in the 1960's liked this feature and when was it finally discontinued?
 

bklynbass

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On a slightly different note I'm wondering why the bass boost switch was not very desirable on these Starfire basses. I just sold a 1968 Gibson EB-2 bass where this switch was more heavy duty than on the Starfire. Additionally it was a feature where the previous owner used it and actually liked it.

I am also curious as to why bass players in the 1960's liked this feature and when was it finally discontinued?


The coil circuit was used to cut bottom end on the front (neck) pickup only. It essentially does the same thing as a capacitor for a tone control except it takes away a different frequency range. I'm not sure if there's an official reason known for their existence on either Gibsons or Guilds but my own guess would be that a lot of bass combo speakers back in the late 60s couldn't handle the bottom end of the neck pickups and would distort or even blow if hit hard enough.

The problem with them is that they corrupt the signal chain even when they're not engaged. It was bypassed on my 68 Starfire bass but not on the 1970 m-85 that I used to have. I got the m-85 on a trade because it was beautiful and I knew it was worth way more than I was getting it for but I could never figure out why the front pickup sounded so much worse than the one on my Starfire... super low output, distorted, no top end.... till I yanked that sucker out in desperation. It was a whole other instrument after that....

In case you’re skeptical:

here are sound samples, before

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rw3vqoahdam49kr/choke.mp3?dl=0

and after…

https://www.dropbox.com/s/06e5241cp62q9ki/sans choke.mp3?dl=0

totally flat, same gain level, recorded direct into Logic about 10 years ago.
 
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mavuser

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idealassets

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On the "after" recording its much more clear. I like hearing the more distinct percussiveness of the bass strings being contacted on the after version.
 

bklynbass

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yoo Bklyn Bass u are sounding mighty good in those clips. when are u going to tell me where u gig so i can hear u play?

also just wondering where your tone knob is at on those clips. thanks!


Ha, thanks!

Here's my website that sometimes has my dates listed if I remember to update them...

www.chrislightcap.com


The tone knob is all the way up. The strings were fairly dead dean markley flatwounds.
 
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